OfficeMax decides to improve office furniture line
OfficeMax aims to increase and improve its sales by coming up with a higher quality office furniture lines, starting off with the Sharper Image Office line a takeoff of the popular catalog and mall brand. An also, a Broyhill line for the market this summer.
The lines are part of the company’s overall private-brand strategy as it strives to increase profits, said Ryan Vero, the company’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. OfficeMax’ line of TUL pens came out last year.
OfficeMax’ target market are people who work from the home. According to the US Department of Labor of Survey in 2004, 15% of the US population manages and conduct business transactions at home.
OfficeMax’ return on equity totals 5.3% while Staples, the largest office supply chain’s equity is 22% which sends OfficeMax reeling.
The improvement will cause the new furnitures to increase in selling price as compared to the furnitures sold at other stores. Between the two furniture lines, Broyhill’s furniture lines are the most expensive.
“Our customers want to create a home office that goes beyond the basics,” said OfficeMax spokeswoman Jennifer Rook. “This allows them to create a home office more to their tastes and their style.”
In January, OfficeMax first licensed Sharper Image its name as a way of improving its operations in producing furnitures.
Scott Reid, chief marketing officer at Broyhill Furniture Industries said: Broyhill also wanted a part of the growing market and had little fear that its brand - until now sold through a network of independent furniture dealers - would be cheapened.
“You see all the trends as far as telecommuting and home office proliferation,” he said. “We thought it only makes sense to do that.”
Furnitures like writing and executive desks, credenzas, hutches, bookcases and furniture-styled filing systems are OfficeMax designs with Broyhill seal.
A Broyhill dealer typically would sell a piece for $999 to $1,299 as compared to a cheaper brand which costs form $599 to $799 which is found in an office supply store.
It hopes to introduce office chain shoppers to the Broyhill brand and lead them to bedroom and living room suite purchases, Reid said.
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